The Begining's of Yuuko
by Bootzuchan
Summary: Even stranger things go on as the day progresses for Yuuko. Things heat up as more mysterious things happen! R'N'R please!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer- I don't own any of the CLAMP characters, but anything that isn't related to them are all original character concepts that I came up with, so please no stealing. Thanks a bunch and hope you all enjoy.

Fate can be changed and destiny can be shaped into whatever you make of it. Unfortunate that the one who can shape these things, the one who can grant the gift of time, money, fame, and fortune and any other wish you desire, never wanted the role of balance to begin with. This is the story of a talented witch who can transcend time and alter the universe for a price.

It was in the dead of winter in the dying dimension. A large landscape of nothing but dead wastes and shadowed places. A cloaked figure trudged through the snow toward an ancient city that laid in ruins. The cloak was rugged and ripped from wandering through the different dimensions that were just beginning to appear. Well, most of them were already there, it depended on your version of existence as well as time.

The figure carried a bundle that was wrapped tightly and guarded it against the cold winds and snow. Time was short and he needed to get the bundle to the dimensional portal. The creatures of old were not too far behind. The cloak whipped about and the hood was blown from his head. It revealed a younger man of about 20 years, though in truth his eyes told of a different age. After all, to his kind, age never mattered anyway. His hair was black as night, and his eyes were like twinkling blue sapphires. As if a shooting star descended upon them eons ago. The portal was close, and he moved on into the dark of night, into the eye of the storm that ravaged around him.

He could hear the sound of the shadow wolves creeping closer behind him. He pulled his hood back over his features, holding the bundle tight. It had taken all of his courage to bring her this far, all of his magic to sustain the enduring warmth around the new-born babe. He checked the bundle as he walked through the bitter cold. She was sleeping peacefully, as he thought she was. A black-haired child with eyes that equaled the dark storms around him. Even equaled that of the night sky. This child was destined for something more, something greater that he himself could not provide.

He kept moving, struggling now that he was closer to his destination, to the portal that would take this child to the shrine of a new day. The place called earth was in existence, beyond this cold dark world. He needed to speak, to beg the old hag of a dimensional witch to take this child of destiny, to a safe place where she could be guarded from harm. The ancients told the story of the balance of wishes. He knew what had to be sacrificed, as those that were left of his race had explained to him. Very little remained in this wasteland of a dimension and he needed to make sure that his powers were passed on, that his role as guardian had been served.

Finally he saw the two white pillars, ancient ruins that his sage-like race had spoken of. He held the bundled baby tight in his hands as he walked through the dimensional hole in the center. A bubble of magic appeared around him, and slowly, him and the baby were gone. Just as he disappeared he saw the snarling demon hounds stare at him with anger in their red glowing eyes. Already he suffered from injuries caused by the demon lord's pets. He could feel his energy draining, he used up his life force to save the baby, the girl he called his own.

He appeared before a building that was strange and foreign to him. The steps leading up to the shop looked like a shrine in a sense. Though very peculiar to his eyes. He had little time to gawk however, as an old hag of a woman appeared before him. She held a long thin cigarette stick and would breath in, then out smoke would billow. Her gray eyes would turn to the young-looking man as a smile shaped on her face. She wore a long kimono, and on it flowers of grey were stitched in. Her hair was silver and tied up in a bun, held in by red chopsticks with golden dragons embedded on them.

She looked the man up and down and spoke,

"Sage, what is your wish?"

His throat was so dry that he could hardly speak, but, with his last ounce of strength he utilized his vocal cords for the first time in weeks since his journey began.

"I seek to save this child, give her a place to be safe from the demons around her."

The old woman breathed in the pipe, and more smoke billowed out,

"Every wish granted, has a price young-sage, what will you give me in trade? You have no magic left, and you are dying."

The man sighed and looked down at the bundle, the child of destiny. At least that is what the others had said.

"I offer this child, she is yours to do what you wish."

At that point the man placed the child at the witches feet. He collapsed like a pile of rags, the last of his strength zapped from his body as he whispered one more thing.

"Please keep her from Harm….her name is…."

Then he was gone. His body turned to dust and a winter wind whipped by to blow him and the rags away from the magical shop. The old witch would look down at the baby girl and would pick her up. She tilted the girl this way and that. The baby rubbed it's eyes and looked at the old woman, a smile on her face. Somewhere in the deep old Crone's heart, she found a soft spot, and after all, she herself would not be around forever anyway. She needed an heir, and what better way to fulfill the position than with a man's dying wish. The old woman smiled and said,

"Whatever name you had beforehand I shall call you Yuuko Icchihara for now."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer- Don't own any of the CLAMP characters, but I do own original character concepts that I come up with and what not so no stealing please.

With a start, Yuuko had opened her eyes, sweat beading down her forehead. The same dream haunted her in the night, and sometimes during the day as well. The look that the hooded figure had given her, a look of sorrow. Why was the man so afraid? He had a warm face and a friendly disposition, but something in his eyes told her that things could not be as they were, whatever that meant. The dreams, however, were coming even more often that she ever remembered them. People, places, and even things kept popping in her head. She sat up in bed and looked out the window. Another customer had found the shop, some guy with short brown hair and geeky looking glasses and wearing a long kimono type thing.

"It seems Gran is hard at work, doesn't that woman ever kick back and relax?"

Yuuko jumped out of bed and walked over to her closet for her school uniform. Up to this point in her life she had been home schooled by her grandmother. She did not even know her grandmother's true name, she was always told to just call her Gran, and so that's how it was. The first few years of her life were spent learning about the shop and how it functioned. How to weigh what was lost by what was gain, though Yuuko herself did not have that sort of magical potential that Gran expected her to have. She tried chants, spells, charms, anything that could provide some sort of magical burst of power within her, but in the end it was all futile and she turned out to be a failure. Now the only thing she does is work like a servant to Gran by doing the grocery shopping and the various chores that had to get done in the shop.

In any case, no use dwelling on the past. Yuuko was a failure and that was that. The shop granted all wishes, but for a price, and Yuuko had nothing of value to give, her life was on a scale at all times, but it was one of the requirements in the dimensional witch-shop. She quickly got dressed in her uniform which consisted of a green pleated skirt and a white collar shirt that was cut at the arms and headed down the stairs to the kitchen. Breakfast was already made and sitting for her on the table and on the other side was Gran, who was holding her cigarette stick in her hands and twirling it. This was Gran's way of concentrating on some sort of serious event that just took place.

"So, who what kind of wish did the boy have?"

Yuuko had to ask, and she did it in a non-apathetic voice.

Gran had stopped spinning her pipe and turned her grey eyes towards her adoptive daughter. She never told Yuuko about her door-step adoption, because first of all, it would be bad for business and secondly it would be bad for business. If word in the supernatural world got out that she was adopting children who were placed at her feet, people would be flocking. It was bad enough that she made one exception, and even had to speak with the council about her decision. It was too much of a hassle, so she just let it be for all of 14 years of the girl's life. Though she has grown into a fine young woman. Hair black as night and eyes that sparkle red in the deepest shadows. It is too bad that she had no talent for the magical arts, at least none that she had seen so far anyway.

That's when Gran had came to the decision of sending the girl to school in this era, this modern day time frame. Perhaps she will be able to find that special something that would make her potential blossom. Of course Yuuko rebelled at first at the thought, but Gran reminded her that she could always do extra chores instead. She breathed in her pipe and smoke came in, then out through her nose as she thought. Finally she came to an answer and spoke.

"He wanted a special flower for a princess from his world so that he may win her over, in exchange he gave me his crown of royal roses, these young children these days, they see a pretty face and they go all google-eyed over them."

Yuuko nodded as she looked down at her breakfast.

"I'm nervous about this school thing, they are all going to think I'm weird and tainted or something. I would never be able to bring any friends home, and boys, well…forget _that _idea."

Gran looked at her daughter and sighed, knowing what she was thinking she placed her pipe down.

"Listen Yuuko, you can not let anyone know about the shop, or what I do for a living as it were. But that should not atop you from making friends, just tell them you are here because you need to take care of your dear ol' Grandmother."

That seemed to settle Yuuko's nerves just a bit. She was still nervous about this first day. She had never been to a real school, or ever was able to make real friends, or anything like that. She stood with her book bag in hand and would turn to walk outside. She took one final glance at Gran and sighed. Gran nodded encouragingly and Yuuko walked out of the shop. She stopped just before she hit the entrance and took a final look, she wanted to run back inside and forget the whole thing. Though, she would not be able to face Gran or look her in the eye for the rest of her teen years.

She exited the shop and walked through the pocket dimension gate. It was always surrounded by fog and sometimes Yuuko passed an individual or two or three who all had the desire of a wish. That was the only way the shop was ever found, except that the spell did not work on Yuuko or Gran. She was walking and suddenly the mists divided and there was the sidewalk. Not too far up the way was a bus stop that she could use to get to her school. She walked up there and sat on the bench, waiting for the bus to show. As she sat there, out of the corner of her eye she caught a glowing butterfly. No, it really was glowing, right in front of her eyes as it moved toward some nearby bushes.

Yuuko got up from the bench to go inspect it, though sadly the buses arrival caught her attention. She turned to look at the bus, and when she turned to find a glowing spec in the bush, none were to be found. Disappointed and a little confused she stepped on the bus, flashed the driver her bus pass and sat down in a nearby seat. She pressed her face against the window as she stared out into the city and watched the passerby. She would pull a note out of her bag that had her school schedule.

"This is already turning out to be a confusing day and it hasn't barely even started yet!"

Yuuko had mumbled to herself.

The bus had stopped at the street where the school was. She got off and would continue to walk slowly to her destination, with schedule in hand. The title of the school was Tejina High. She saw the signs for the school and entered through the gates. There were people everywhere flocking about and chatting with one another. It seemed that the bell had not rang yet and people were still socializing, and there was Yuuko, standing all by herself in the middle of the entry way, unsure what to do with herself.

Decided to name the high school Magic, sort of, because I couldn't think of a better name for it, so forgive me in my lack of imagination.


	3. Chapter 3

-Disclaimer-Don't own any of the clamp characters, only the original character stuff that I come up with.-

Yuuko just stood there and observed for a few minutes, unsure if she should approach someone or just stay stationary. She wanted to move forward with the rest of those standing around her. She bet that she looked pretty silly just standing there all by herself. Deep down Yuuko still wanted to dart home and never be seen again, but the surge of being a failure came forth again. And she was determined to succeed at something! So she took a step toward a group of students. She sort of half-heartedly waved at them in a friendly kind of way, but they just went back to their conversation ignoring her.

She sighed, not sure she was able to get this thing right. Thankfully her thoughts were interrupted by the bell. Yuuko looked at her schedule again to see where she was going, still unsure of this whole situation all together. She just stood there, outside starring at her schedule. Then she realized what she was doing and raced off to her first class. She was the only person left in the courtyard.

_Oh yeah, beautiful start in a new school,_

she thought to herself.

She found the number of the classroom and gave a great big sigh. The teacher seemed to be taking roll-call. At this point Yuuko's heart was skipping beats as she inched her hand nearer and nearer the door knob. She turned it and opened the door into the classroom. The teacher stopped reading from his list and turned to look at her. He looked young, with brown hair that was tied back in a pony tail and a pair of square glasses that were placed at the edge of his nose. His expression was agitation as he looked Yuuko in the eye disapprovingly.

She bowed her head and said very quickly,

"I apologize for being late, but I…ahhh…did not know where I was going, and kind of got lost on the way…I'm a new student Yuuko Ichihara."

The teacher put his folder down and walked over to her.

"If you please could take a seat Ms. Ichihara so I can continue. May I also say that tardiness is a serious issue and I hope that next time you will find the classroom?"

His glasses slipped a little as his eyes darted to hers. Yuuko felt like he was X-raying her with just his eyes. She went immediately to an empty desk near the back of the classroom as the teacher would walk back to the front of the classroom. He pushed his glasses up and picked up his roll and continue where he left off at. There did not seem to be a lot of kindness going around for her today. She had no idea how to act in this kind of environment. It just seemed like there was a dark cloud over the classroom and the students.

In fact….

There WAS a dark cloud about. How did she not notice it? Then again, a better question is how DID she notice it to begin with. It just loomed over the students and even the teacher himself. She had no idea how to fend off these shadow-like beings. It felt too much like a videogame to her. All she needed was a gigantic key that does bludgeoning damage. Really she was thinking too much into this. Yuuko closed her eyes and tried to convince herself that she could not see any of it. That the dark aura's around her did not exist and that she was just delusional because of how long of a day it felt already. When she opened her eyes, the dark aura was gone and everything was set right. No dark shapes, no glowing butterflies, no weird happenings. It was all just in her mind, her head.

The lesson went on until break for lunch occurred. Yuuko was thankful for the break. The teacher kept droning on and on about some historical event. Clearly she had enough of history studies through Gran. She felt like she was beyond all of this simple knowledge. The things the teacher spoke about today Yuuko already knew. It's not like she spent all of these years cooped up in that shop and didn't learn anything. Perhaps she could get away with sleeping in class. In any case she was approached by a girl with pig tails just as she was getting out her lunch.

"Hey there, I didn't see you take any notes in class, why is that?"

Yuuko looked at the girl curiously a moment, then she answered.

"I know these things already, what's the point of re-learning something that you already know?"

The girl lifted her chin a little, as if she were high and mighty, and then looked down on Yuuko.

"Perhaps you think you are too good for us then?" The girl had asked.

Yuuko merely kept her gaze on the half-twit girl. Deep down she wished to be far away from here instead of dealing with bullies like this. She wished she could disappear and go to a place where she can just relax. She sighed and closed her eyes for a moment, ignoring the girl's taunts and such. All of them taunting her and why she was here. That was when she noticed it, the big black cloud that hovered over the classroom again.

_No, not again! Leave me alone!_

She tried so hard to block it out, but she couldn't anymore. Yuuko got up, ran over to the door, opened it and went straight for the bathroom. She felt sick, and queasy, like she had just gone through a marathon but could not quite get to the end fast enough. She felt her heart racing just as fast as she was running moments ago. She would sort of stumble over to a sink and splash some water on her face. Perhaps she should go home and tell Gran of her ordeal.

There must have been a mistake somewhere in the cards for her. She had no talent for these things. No special powers or hidden meanings that she withheld within herself. At least she was not aware of anything.

"This CAN'T be happening to be me!" She told this to her mirror self. Imagine the surprise Yuuko got when the mirror replied,

"Oh but it is, so deal with it!"

She shook her head, some first day this turned out to be. She finds out she is a freak just as she was trying to blend in with the rest of the crowd. After a few more face washes and making sure the mirror REALLY was just a mirror, she left the bathroom. Yuuko walked back to the classroom and went to gather her things. She walked up to the teacher's desk and told him that she was not feeling well. He sighed and would tell her how to get to the nurse's office from here.

She walked the halls of the school in a very zombie-type state toward the nurse's office. Her dark red eyes were sort of glazed over. The dark aura still popped up over various students. There was only so much more she could take of this strange happening. Yuuko stopped in the middle of the hallway and just collapsed in mid-walk. She felt someone catch her as she almost fell to the ground.

That was when darkness engulfed her and confusion took over.

-Hope you all liked Chapter 3, Ever dread that first day of school sometimes? Well I just took it to the extreme with this, and as for the bludgeoning key thing comment, well was sort of making fun of kingdom hearts, so forgive to those who are fans of such a video game series. Also note that the pig-tailed girl was taken from a very annoying fan-club girl from fruits basket. No not crossing over characters and whatnot, just stating some little inside notes.-


End file.
